Choose an egg cake for a quick breakfast based on the portion size, ingredients, allergens and nutritional information that suit your morning. If you also want to consider Fairtrade, check the claim on the specific egg cake: Fairtrade chocolate from the same brand or shop tells you nothing about the egg cake. Also check whether a certification applies to the product or to a particular ingredient.
You want to know whether the certification appears on the egg cake itself, and whether it applies to the whole product or to one ingredient. Fairtrade Netherlands explains that mass balance may be used for cocoa and sugar. The information on the packaging can help you interpret the claim correctly.
You’re looking for an egg cake you can take with you without any preparation. Compare the weight per cake, the number of cakes in the pack and the nutritional information per portion. Albert Heijn and Jumbo also list options such as mini and wholemeal egg cakes.
You need an egg cake with ingredients that meet your requirements. Check the packaging for ingredients such as egg, milk, cereals containing gluten and soya. According to product information from Albert Heijn and Bolletje, these are found in certain egg cakes.
Check any Fairtrade claim separately from the practical considerations when choosing a breakfast to take with you. Then assess the portion size and nutritional information for the egg cake you actually want to buy.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade claim | Look for the certification on the specific egg cake and check whether the explanation refers to the product or to an ingredient. Fairtrade Netherlands and Milieu Centraal highlight this distinction. | If I want to consider Fairtrade, I want to know what the claim on my egg cake applies to. For around 50% of consumers, checking this is their main purchasing concern. |
| Easy to take with you | Compare the number of cakes, the weight per cake and the nutritional information per portion. | When I’m in a hurry, I want to be able to take a portion that suits my breakfast, without needing to prepare anything. Around 30% of consumers give this practical aspect top priority. |
| Allergens and nutritional value | Read the current ingredients and allergen information; compare sugars and fibre per portion. | I want to check in advance whether the ingredients are suitable for me and what the cake adds to my breakfast. This is the main purchasing concern for around 20% of consumers. |
A Fairtrade statement about chocolate or another product in the range doesn’t prove that an egg cake from the same brand carries the certification.
Check the packaging or official product information for the exact egg cake you’re choosing.
Fairtrade Netherlands allows mass balance for products including cocoa and sugar. So a Fairtrade statement doesn’t necessarily mean these ingredients have remained physically separate throughout processing.
Check the packaging to see which ingredients are covered by the claim and how traceability is explained.
A description such as ‘wholemeal’ doesn’t tell you how much sugar or fibre is in a particular portion. For example, Voedingscentrum lists 10 g of sugars and 1,1 g of fibre for one 30 g wholemeal egg cake; these figures don’t apply to all egg cakes.
Compare the nutritional information per portion for the product you’re buying and consider how it fits into your overall breakfast.
Ingredients vary between products. Product information from Albert Heijn and Bolletje lists egg, milk, cereals containing gluten and soya, among other ingredients, in certain egg cakes.
Check the current ingredients and allergen information on the packaging, even if you’ve bought a similar egg cake before.
These brands and shops can help you compare options and product information. Their inclusion here is not a Fairtrade claim about their egg cakes.
Albert Heijn lists several options, including regular, mini, wholemeal and spelt egg cakes.
Bolletje lists products including Brosse Eierkoek with cinnamon and a milk coating.
Jumbo lists regular, mini and wholemeal egg cakes, as well as a separate gluten-free egg cake from Gluten Free Bakery Holland.
ALDI lists Heerlijck Banket Scharreleierkoeken in a pack of 12.
Lidl lists a pack of 12 egg cakes.
No. The chocolate claim doesn’t automatically apply to the egg cake. Look for a Fairtrade statement on the packaging or in the official product information for the specific egg cake.
No, you can’t assume that from the logo alone. According to Fairtrade Netherlands, mass balance is allowed for products including cocoa and sugar. Check the packaging to see which ingredients are covered by the claim and what it says about traceability.
Read the current ingredients and allergen information on the packaging for the option you’ve chosen. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says allergens must be clearly stated on the label. Don’t rely on the product name or on another egg cake from the same brand.
No. Consider the egg cake as part of the rest of your breakfast. Check the portion size and nutritional information for the product you’ve chosen, rather than assuming what the whole meal provides based on its size or name.
